Check-cutter and check-book holder



APPLICATION FILED OCT. 16. 1917.

Patented May 20, 1919.

Wm E. imam/wt wimzas UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. SHOEMAKE-R, 0F DES MOINES, IOWA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO 3'. T. GUERIN AND D. B. MQDONALD, BOTH OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CHECK-CUTTER AN D CHECK-BOOK HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 20, 1919.

Application filed october 16, 1917. Serial No. 196,955.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. SHOEMAKER, a citizen of the United States, and resldent of Des 'Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Check-Cutter and Check-Book Holder, of which the following is a spec fication. 7 1 The object of my invention is to provide a check cutter and check book holder of sunple, durable and inexpensive constructlon.

More particularly it is my ob ect to provide a check cutter to be mounted on and used with the book holders of ordinary construction now in use, in such a way as to make it easy to place the cutter at the proper place for cutting the check from the stub along certain desired lines.

A further object is to provide such a device which can be readily and easily mounted on or detached from the check book, and which can be used with different ln'nds and sizes, and with checks of different sizes.

Still a further object is to provide a combination of such a cutter with a check and check book holder.

With these and other objects in v ew, my invention consists in the constructlon, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the ob ects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my cla1m, and illustrated in the accompanymg drawings, in which:

Figure 1 show a top or plan v1ew of a check and check book holder equipped with a check cutter embodying my invent on.

Fig. 2 shows a plan view of my improved check cutter laid out.

Fig. 3 shows a central, vertical, sectional View through the check cutter, and 0 Fig. 4 shows a vertical, sectional v1ew of the check and check book, and check cutter shown in Fig. 1.

In the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate generally a check book holder or casing comprising the leather strip having the coacting snap fasteners 11 and 12 near its ends.

The check book holder 10 is provided near one end with a pocket 13, and near the other end with another pocket 14, for canceled checks or the like.

In connection with the check book I use a pad of checks 15 having between the stub and body of the check a series of figures 16*, whlch may be arranged as indicated in my patent issued May 8, 1917, Number 1,225,512. T he checks may be fastened together by glue 1n the ordinary way or in any suitable manner and'secured to the back of the checks is a stifi back 16 made of pasteboard or the hke The pasteboard back 16 is slipped into the pocket 13. I provide a cutter, constructed and mounted in the following manner.

The cutter comprises a fiatplate 17 havmg a portion 18 at one end folded over the plate 17 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

At the opposite end of the plate 17 isa downwardly opening channel 19 having at 1ts edge opposite the plate 18 a horizontal portion 20 arranged on a level slightly lower than the plate 17.

Slidably mounted on the channel 19 is a somewhat larger channel 21 having at one edge a horizontal extension or strip 22 slidably received between the member 18 and the plate 17, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The channel 21 has at its other edge a flat strip or extension 23, slidably mounted on the strip 20.

At the outer edge of the strip 23 is another fiat strip 24 forming a cutter blade arranged substantially on a level with the strip 20, as shown in Fig. 4.

At one end of the strip.24 is an upwardly extending handle or engaging member 25.

The plate 17 is secured to a supporting member which is preferably a substantially rigid member or plate 26.

Secured to the strip 26 is a flexible member 27 forming a hinge and adjustable device. Secured to the flexible member 27 is a rigid member or strip 28 designed to be slipped into the pocket 13 between the cover 10 and the stiff back 16, as illustrated in Fig. 4.

Many banks are putting out a leather check book holder of the general type shown herein, having the pocket 13 or its equivalent receiving the stiif back on a pad of checks. It is my purpose to provide a cutter and supporting member therefor adapted to be used in connection with such check book covers, and also adapted to be used with a check of the type shown in my patent heretofore mentioned.

It is desirable that such a check cutter and support therefor should be so arranged that the check cutter may be moved longitudinally of the checks and also transversely across the checks.

The use of the flexible member 27 permits a longitudinal adjustment of the cutter on the checks and also permits some transverse adjustment.

The sliding mounting of the cutter blade Ql permits further and complete transverse adjustment of the cutter,

The advantages of such a construction as is herein shown are largely seen from the foregoing description of the construction of my device.

It will be seen that the'check cutter may be adjusted for cuttin the checks along the desired lines, and that the check cutter and support therefor are so constructed and arranged that the device may be used With the ordinary check book holders novv commonly in use.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the various parts of my improved device Without departing from the essential features and purposes thereof, and it is my intention to cover by my present application and the claim of the patent to be issued thereon, any modified combination of a check book cover having a pocket, a check cutter comprising a rigid member, a cutter blade adjustably mounted thereon, a flexible member operatively connected with said rigid member, and a rigid member operatively connected with said flexible member and adaptedvtobe received Within said pocket, whereby the cutter blade may be moved to a variety of positions With relation to the face of checks or the like in said cover.

Des Moines, Iowa, September 14:, 1917.

' JOHN F. SHOEMAKER.

Copies at this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addreuing the Commiuioner o! Iatentl.

Washington, D. 0. a 

